


Our Oral History

by BurrSquee, Tikor



Series: Castebook: Casteless [6]
Category: Exalted
Genre: Gen, Lunars, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-12
Updated: 2018-04-12
Packaged: 2019-04-21 18:30:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14290833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BurrSquee/pseuds/BurrSquee, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tikor/pseuds/Tikor
Summary: Stories of a different river flowing from a different mountian into a different ocean.





	Our Oral History

Estranged from the Silver Pact as any Castless eventually becomes, they rarely tell the same stories. Of late, it has been a race to form retrieval packs between the Cult of Razik, who revere Castelessness, and the Silver Pact of the East. Whose stories are first told to a new Lunar greatly influences that Lunar’s eventual decision to adopt a Caste or not. What follows are not entries in the Silver Pact’s oral history, but instead the dogma, catechisms, and general teachings of the Cult of Razik, told through stories that the Casteless tell each other.

 **The Dog’s Collar**  
A man once became a dog. He came in from the fields to find he could not open the fence. His family shooed him away, for he was unfamiliar to them. 

So the dog wandered into the wilds. He found new things to smell and new things to chase. Never had he found more enjoyment in familiar places. But as the day turned into night, the dog became tired and skittish. There was nothing to eat as the dog did not know how to hunt, and the dog was hungry. There was no warm place to sleep as the dog did not know how to make a den, and the dog was unsheltered. The wild became filled with unfamiliar sounds and smells, and the moon cast long shadows. There was no protective fence and as the dog did not understand the moon and wilds, and the dog was afraid.

The next day, the dog traveled back to the human places and found another man. Instead of shooing him away like his family had, the new man opened the gate to the fence and let the dog in from the wilds. With a gentle hand, the dog was lead to the home of the man. Inside, the man gave the dog food, and the dog was no longer hungry. By the warm hearth, the man made a den for the dog, and the dog was no longer cold. Inside the man’s house, inside the man's fence, the dog could not hear the sounds of wild or see the shadows of the moon, and the dog was no longer afraid.

The next day, a collar was placed on the dog. The dog did not like the way the collar felt, but could endure it for he was grateful to the man. The man led the dog to the gate, and the man and dog headed into the wilds to hunt. Again the dog found new things to smell and new things to chase. But the man called the dog back, and the dog ceased his chase. Instead the man showed the dog how he hunted. The dog helped the man make a kill, and the dog was pleased with his work. He headed back through the gate to the man's house.

But instead of sharing the kill, the man gave the dog the same food from yesterday. The dog ate the food, but to be barred from the sweet smelling meat turned the dog’s gratitude for the man. The man laid down in his bed, and when the dog tried to join him the man sent him back to his den by the hearth. The dog was comfortable enough, but seeing how much better the man slept the dog was envious of the man. The dog smelled the scent of a mate and wanted to go out to discover her in the wilds. The man shouted at the dog, and the dog heeded his master’s command, going back to his den. The dog was not afraid, but after being denied his mate the dog grew resentful.

The next day, a rope was added to the dog’s collar. Instead of taking the dog with him into the wilds, the man left the dog to attend his business alone. The dog tried to follow, but the rope stopped him and the collar dug into his neck. The dog did not like the confinement of the rope and collar, and struggled against the rope until the knot gave way. The dog headed into the wilds. The dog found new smells and new things to chase. He found the mate beckoning him from the man's house, and he mated with her. The dog hunted the small creatures of the wilds, and managed to eat some of them. The dog found holes and burrows and craigs, and he slept in them. The dog began to understand the wilds and those that live in them. But as night returned, the dog wondered after the man and headed home. The man, seeing the dog, let him into the fence.

But instead of a gentle hand, the man beat the dog for disobeying his orders. Hurt and shaking, the dog was brought roughly into the man's home, and the dog was afraid. The dog was given no food, and the dog was hungry. The dog found his den gone, and the dog was uncomfortable. The dog began to think longingly of the wilds.

The next day, the dog was confined while the man left again. Again the dog escaped to the wilds, this time for good. He found himself a burrow and made a den. It was not as nice as the one made by the man, it leaked and the wind blew from its open entrance, and the dog was still cold sometimes, but it was better for it was his castle. At night, the wilds filled with sounds and the moon cast shadows upon the ground, but the dog now understood more. The dog hardened himself to meet the challenges of the wild, no longer as nice as he was behind the man's fence, or when he had been a man himself. Fear never truly left the dog, but he held his head high as his own protector.

Young pups, be like the dog. Learn to live in the wild and reject the softness of men. Reject the collars they would put upon your necks or those they would carve into your skin.

 **Who is Razik?**  
The below is chanted in a call-and-response fashion at gatherings of Razik’s faithful. 

Who is Luna’s true face? Razik is Luna’s true face, the Silver-Horned Watcher wears other faces only to seek out heretics and test her faithful. 

Who is the moon? Razik is the moon and our goddess both, watching over us all. We follow her in her path across the skies and in our Castes.

Who is the mother? Razik is our mother. We are her children. As she has a thousand faces, so do we. As she has a thousand forms, so do we. As she has five phases, so do we.

Who is the hunter? Razik is the watcher whose eyes see heretics as prey. We are her arrows. We are her teeth and claws. We are her beating heart, racing fast, loping after their scent.

Who is the tide that pulls the Wyld? Razik is the tide, pushing the Wyld back on the full moon, and drawing it in in the new moon. We follow Razik in and out of the Wyld, to the ends of Creation and beyond.

What is the goddess’ will? To remain free.

Who defies the will of the goddess? The heretics who bind and shackle. 

Who are you? We are Razik’s faithful. 

**On Avoiding Mutation**  
Some among us have claimed ignorance about how they acquired the mutations on their true forms. I, Malik Fenn, tell this story to remedy that ignorance, so that all who wish to remain free of them may do so, and those who choose to be delighted by Wyld gifts upon their person may know how. May we all revere Razik in our own way.

As we are blessed by Razik, we are able to change our shape. But we are imperfect vessels for Razik’s perfect blessing. We once had one shape and now have many. Part of us rebels against taking a new shape every time one is assumed. They keep a memory of the old shapes.

But, like all memories, they fade in time. Simply waiting and living in one shape for days has the effect of distracting this base hold-over. The spark of the Wyld lit during shapeshifting burns down to embers in time, and is ready for another spark without the risk of an uncontrolled blaze.

The Wyld itself reminds our past one-face selves about how terrible it is to change, base thinking from before Razik’s blessing. How vivid the reminder varies by how plentiful the Wyld. Increase the time between shifts in proportion to how much Wyld energy surrounds you, like one would limit a fire according to the kindling surrounding the campfire. In Creation, change as often as you like. In the Deep Wyld there is no respite from the madness, no amount of waiting there will suffice. 

Yes, I know we cannot always be the choosers of when to take a new shape. Circumstances are at times out of our hands. Total freedom is the providence of Razik alone. If you must take a shape on the same day or the next day after shapeshifting, use your will to remember your true shape in your mind - do not change without thought! Then, double the time of waiting after the second shift, as if any waiting between the two shifts had not occurred. 

However, for the impatient, or the Wyld traveler, there is another method that can help you when you slip: observing the taboos of Razik. Pups, I suggest that you follow only the first level until you do not waver for years before attempting the higher taboos to not anger Razik with your false promises. If the taboo is broken, you will need to purify yourself. But first, the practices themselves. They are as follows.

The first taboo of Razik is to watch all of your kills for one hour before attempting to slay it, and to extend any Sacred Hunts to a full day. The Silver-Horned Watcher is honored by your study, and you will learn more about what you are taking from Creation, Razik’s lover Gaia. If you swear to this and observe it, a monthly slip of shifting shape twice in the same day will be forgiven. 

The second taboo of Razik is to eat every part of your kills, no matter how unsavory. The Silver-Horned Watcher tells us that the Heart’s Blood is the sweetest of all. But to truly know the shape you have taken, and to honor the sacrifice Gaia has made for you, it must be eaten entirely. If you swear to this and observe it, a monthly slip of not doubling your waiting time between shapes after too-close shifting will be forgiven. 

The third taboo of Razik is to blaze your Castemark during each night until your Anima fills the sky. Seeing her children change with her brings her joy, and when she is joyful she will smile upon you. If you swear to this and observe it, a shifting twice in a day, once in a month while in the shallow Wyld will be forgiven. 

The fourth taboo of Razik is to forsake your true shapes. Your mortal shape, your spirit shape, and your war shape. Seeing you cast off these bindings, abandoning that familiarity, pleases Razik. She will take delight in the new, unbound path you have chosen, free from constants. If you swear to this and observe it, a shifting twice in a day, once in a month while in the deep Wyld will be forgiven. 

The fifth taboo I have not discovered. Razik has not seen fit to tell me. It may be that it is different for every faithful, as our worship for Razik has a thousand faces. 

If you swear these taboos to Razik, the Silver-Horned watcher, our goddess, be true to your word, pups! Do not lie to your deity! The higher the taboo broken, the higher the purification required before Razik will honor your taboo oath again. The purifications are as such. 

The first purification of Razik is to go on a sacred hunt, but to afterwards resist taking on the new shape for a full month, instead offering that time with that shape to Razik. At the end of this month you must ask Razik’s forgiveness. Afterwards, look for a sign. If you do not see a sign of Razik’s favor, you must purify yourself again. 

The second purification of Razik is to find a predator and eat nothing but what it leaves as scraps from their kills for an entire month. It cannot be the same predator as any you have followed as part of this purification in the same year. At the end of this month you must ask Razik’s forgiveness. Afterwards, look for a sign. If you do not see a sign of Razik’s favor, you must purify yourself again. 

The third purification of Razik is to spend an entire month away from the Wyld and in the same shape. It must be the same shape you last shifted to, you cannot take a convenient shape prior to swearing this purification - as soon as it is in your mind to do the third purification, you must retain the shape in which you had that thought! Razik is always watching, and will know if you deceive her. At the end of this month you must ask Razik’s forgiveness. Afterwards, look for a sign. If you do not see a sign of Razik’s favor, you must purify yourself again. 

The fourth purification of Razik is to spend an entire month observing the first three purifications. The sacred hunt must be of an animal that has an identical twin - one you eat, and one you follow. You cannot lead the predator away from the Wyld if it strays towards it! For a predator to do so during the fourth purification is a sign of Razik’s displeasure, and you must start the purification again with a new twinned pair if you wish to regain her favor. Afterwards, look for a sign. If you do not see a sign of Razik’s favor, you must purify yourself again. 

Asking any greater forgiveness of Razik is your path to find, my pups. I know of know greater purification than the fourth, but I suspect that Razik will reveal one in time. 

**Auspicious Phases of Razik**  
Undertake the slaying of mighty foes under the full moon.

Undertake the maintaining of the pack during the waxing moon.

Undertake the contemplation of war during the half moon.

Undertake the stalking of prey during the waning moon.

Undertake the act of sorcery when no moon shines in the night sky.

 **On the Founder of the Cult of Razik**  
Some say that Malik Fenn is the founder of the Cult of Razik. This is a lie. Razik has been watching since the world was made, and her priests and priestesses have been faithful in all of that time. Malik Fenn is but another priest who has looked into the Silver-Horned Watcher’s eyes and seen the truth. His words from Razik are prophecy, yes, but his face is far too young to match the turning of ages under Razik’s stare.

The first Watchful Priest in the First Age, when records began, was killed by the Solars who ruled that era. One of the Solars grew envious of another Solar’s Lunar mate, and desired her Lunar companion to change his Caste to match the object of her envy. Despite this ignoble beginning, he was the first Lunar to find the true face of Luna, Razik, the Silver-Horned Watcher, and bring her infinite mutability to his Castemark. The rulers of this time did see this holy blessing for what it was. His Solar mate was also killed when they were discovered. No records remain but this story, passed down by the faithful. The first Lunar’s name is forgotten.

Next, in the glorious time when all Lunars found their way to Razik’s path fleeing the Dragon-Blooded Usurpation to the edges of the world, was the Lunar Haik, Thrice Horned, with the spirit totem of the great horned lizard. Haik could move her eyes independent of one another - while Razik thought herself hidden from her child’s gaze the second eye drank her in and fell in love. She prayed to Razik to come down to her and comfort her while lost in the Wyld. After much pleading, Razik did. From that day forward Haik Thrice Horned’s Caste shifted with the moon. Soon, Razik’s blessing spread to all the Lunars.

Then that demon Raksi and her fellows at the crossroads cast their curses upon themselves and their brethren, rejecting Razik’s blessing. This must never be forgiven. For once rejected, those demonic whorls of moonsilver forever ban Razik’s freedom from gracing them again. 

Again the faithful endured a time of persecution, as the No Moons shackled who they could and killed any who refused.

Only recently, under the shepherding of the latter day prophet, Malik Fenn, has Razik’s blessing been enjoyed openly. We must never let them stamp out our teachings again.


End file.
